Italian club Juventus announced the extension of coach Luciano Spalletti’s contract until 2028, ending months of speculation about his long-term future with the team.
The Bianconeri initially signed Spalletti last October on a short-term contract following the dismissal of coach Igor Tudor.
Spalletti took over when Juventus were seventh in Serie A, six points behind then-leaders Napoli. Now, the team sits in fifth place, but is 15 points behind leaders Inter Milan and just one point behind fourth-placed Como, in a fierce battle with Roma and Atalanta for a Champions League qualification spot.
Spalletti has led the team in 22 Serie A matches, achieving 12 wins, 6 draws, and 4 losses. His 55% win rate is the 17th best among 42 coaches who have managed Juventus in at least 10 matches in this competition.
Juventus also suffered a humiliating Champions League exit at the hands of Galatasaray, losing 7-5 on aggregate in the play-offs, which cast doubt on Spalletti’s future in Turin.
Ultimately, the Juventus management decided that keeping Spalletti to lead the project for the coming years was the best option. The coach, who hadn’t had the opportunity to choose his players and arrived at a difficult time, welcomed the decision and, by the management’s standards, had already made a positive difference.
